View Full Version : Ain't been a bacon thread in a while...
ChadAmberg
02-17-2019, 10:20
So here's my question. Where can I get good bacon in a normal grocery store that isn't wet cured? I hate water injected bacon that's pretty much everywhere. I hate that it splatters all over the damn kitchen when making it, I hate that half the weight of what you pay for is H2O, and in general find the flavor better of dry cured.
I used to always be able to find at least one brand at any normal grocery store, but the last couple months none. King Soopers, Walmart, Costco, Safeway, etc., don't seem to carry a dry cured brand anymore that I've found.
I found one type at Trader Joes that's dry cured. It's good but not the biggest fan of that particular flavor. Looks like Whole Foods has some? Anyone tried theirs? I wonder if the type KS has in the meat counter is dry cured...
I dunno about grocery store bacon...I get my bacon from a guy in Parker who cures
& smokes his own brand.... found him on Facebook
Not_A_Llama
02-17-2019, 10:28
Pork belly from Costco + https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050IM4MY/
I don’t know if it is wet cured or not but the bacon at the meat counter at Kings is the best I have found even better than Wright
For commercial usable wet cured try Kings Private Selection reduced sodium bacon. It does not splatter much and is much nicer than Black Label etc...
For fancy bacon in Longmont try Your Butcher Frank.
asystejs
02-17-2019, 13:22
We buy bacon at Edwards Meats
http://www.edwards-meats.com/
wctriumph
02-17-2019, 13:31
Wow! Bacon Snobs!
Well, that's OK, I'm a Gun Snob and a Beer Snob and a ...
We just started curing our own. Our first batch wasn't the best I've ever had but I ate it. I know what I did wrong so the two batches in the fridge should be better. I'll know next weekend if they're going to be worth a turd.
Circuits
02-17-2019, 16:08
I did a thing the other day. Got Bacon Spam and sliced it super-thin, then cooked it up crispy and chewy like bacon.
It was damn tasty, but bacon's better. I've been getting the big packs of bacon from Costco.
Is someone who cures bacon referred to as a Bacon Shaman or Dr. bacon?
The latest fad seems to be "uncured" bacon(seem like an oxymoron to me). People are apparently more afraid of nitrites in their food than botulism.
A good article on the subject:
https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/salting-brining-curing-and-injecting/science-curing-meats-safely
I've been making my own for a while now, but still use commercial bacon for some stuff, like bacon wrapped stuffed jalapenos.
Is someone who cures bacon referred to as a Bacon Shaman or Dr. bacon?
Meat Lord is the proper form of address...
TFOGGER, do you cut yours by hand or do you use a meat slicer?
ChickNorris
02-17-2019, 17:46
Meat Lord
Giggle snort
We just started curing our own. Our first batch wasn't the best I've ever had but I ate it. I know what I did wrong so the two batches in the fridge should be better. I'll know next weekend if they're going to be worth a turd.
I have a brisket curing for pastrami in the fridge right now hopefully it turns out the. Have some bellies to do
Pork belly from Costco + https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050IM4MY/
Haven't seen it there my last 3 trips. Meat department told me they aren't offering it anymore.
encorehunter
02-17-2019, 20:18
We are picking up three bacon seeds next weekend. They should be ready by October or November. I dont like playing with them when they weigh 500 or more pounds.
We tried the uncured bacon on the first pig. I much prefer the cured bacon. It had nothing to do with nitrates, I was just too cheap to pay the $20 per side to cure it. The last two we had cured and it was delicious.
Not_A_Llama
02-17-2019, 22:05
Haven't seen it there my last 3 trips. Meat department told me they aren't offering it anymore.
Restaurant Depot admits KC Barbeque Society members, if you don’t have a business connection that gets you in.
ChadAmberg
02-18-2019, 09:37
I have a pellet smoker, maybe it would be worth doing my own sometime. Having space in the refrigerator is the tough part for the curing. Maybe I need to pick up a used fridge to put in the garage. Maybe even a commercial slicer. Then turn the garage into a big smokehouse... Damn, about 20 years ago I used to have a decent electric rotary slicer but that's long gone.
Ok back on track. I'm gonna try the bacon behind the counter at King Soopers and see how it comes out. I know I tried it once before but couldn't remember how it turned out. And then see about making a batch of my own here soon after looking at some recipes and methods.
ChadAmberg
02-18-2019, 13:37
Just got back from King Soopers. There's now apparently 4 different kinds of meat counter bacon they have. Applewood, Hickory, Cherry, and Jalapeno. So I got a half pound of each. The guy was new and didn't know for sure if it was dry cured, but from the nice texture, I'm pretty sure it is.
Gonna make some of each over the next few days and see what I think!
Just got back from King Soopers. There's now apparently 4 different kinds of meat counter bacon they have. Applewood, Hickory, Cherry, and Jalapeno. So I got a half pound of each. The guy was new and didn't know for sure if it was dry cured, but from the nice texture, I'm pretty sure it is.
Gonna make some of each over the next few days and see what I think!
They're all pretty good. Jalapeno is our favorite of the bunch though and I had some just yesterday for brunch. Pretty much every Sunday I whip up some brunch and it almost always includes some of this King Soopers bacon from the meat counter. It's the same (or less in some cases) as the pre-packaged horse shit and tastes SO much better. The size and thickness of the strips is perfect IMO and makes it easier to cook perfectly for a great eating experience. I highly recommend this stuff to anyone who asks about bacon.
ChadAmberg
02-18-2019, 15:11
They're all pretty good. Jalapeno is our favorite of the bunch though and I had some just yesterday for brunch. Pretty much every Sunday I whip up some brunch and it almost always includes some of this King Soopers bacon from the meat counter. It's the same (or less in some cases) as the pre-packaged horse shit and tastes SO much better. The size and thickness of the strips is perfect IMO and makes it easier to cook perfectly for a great eating experience. I highly recommend this stuff to anyone who asks about bacon.
Yeah it was all 4.99$ a pound on sale which is pretty damn great. I wonder how well it freezes?
Fentonite
02-18-2019, 15:14
Yeah it was all 4.99$ a pound on sale which is pretty damn great. I wonder how well it freezes?
I hit the sale too - a pound of applewood and a pound of jalape?o. Nice flavor & thickness. Not very fatty, and it just doesn’t leave enough grease in the skillet to baste eggs though.
Grant H.
02-18-2019, 15:47
Gotta earn my sweet custom title...
I make my own using beef plate (beef navel) or more recently, I've been using brisket, which is easier to get and makes damn good bacon.
Speaking of which, I need to make another batch soon...
Yeah it was all 4.99$ a pound on sale which is pretty damn great. I wonder how well it freezes?
I hit the sale too - a pound of applewood and a pound of jalape?o. Nice flavor & thickness. Not very fatty, and it just doesn’t leave enough grease in the skillet to baste eggs though.
FYI that's almost always the price. No need to stock up.
ChadAmberg
02-18-2019, 23:02
FYI that's almost always the price. No need to stock up.
You sir are a prince among men!
You sir are a prince among men!
You must've seen the new 'stache!
When it comes to the topic of King Soopers Bacon I consider myself a subject matter expert. [ThanksG]
TFOGGER, do you cut yours by hand or do you use a meat slicer?
I slice it by hand. I usually end up with thicker slices than if I used a slicer, hence using commercial bacon for "wrapped" goodies.
ChadAmberg
02-19-2019, 11:54
You must've seen the new 'stache!
When it comes to the topic of King Soopers Bacon I consider myself a subject matter expert. [ThanksG]
So this morning I opened the first pack, the Hickory Smoked. Holy crap talk about thick cut, they were like bacon steaks and definitely not slimy, nice and dry. Threw 5 slices in a cast iron pan on medium and after a bit they started to sizzle, and ... no splatter all over the place. I'm not saying I would cook these naked, but I would feel like I could if I had to. They cooked up great, and were very tasty.
Tonight we're doing bacon cheeseburgers, going to use a couple slices of the jalapeno seasoned for that I think.
I think KS meat counter's bacon is gonna be the winner.
Do you know about folding the bacon into a triangle so it fits onto burgers better?
So this morning I opened the first pack, the Hickory Smoked. Holy crap talk about thick cut, they were like bacon steaks and definitely not slimy, nice and dry. Threw 5 slices in a cast iron pan on medium and after a bit they started to sizzle, and ... no splatter all over the place. I'm not saying I would cook these naked, but I would feel like I could if I had to. They cooked up great, and were very tasty.
Tonight we're doing bacon cheeseburgers, going to use a couple slices of the jalapeno seasoned for that I think.
I think KS meat counter's bacon is gonna be the winner.
The thickness is incredible. I actually microwave them two-at-a-time and they turn our great. I don't like crispy bacon though so for me the microwave does it just right. Some portions of the bacon end up tasting like ham which is delicious within the fatty goodness.
Do you know about folding the bacon into a triangle so it fits onto burgers better?
Sorcery!
Do you know about folding the bacon into a triangle so it fits onto burgers better?
When we do BLTs, we cut the bacon in half and weave it together into a bacon square. It's probably more work than it's worth.
Lower left bacon is what I'm talking about. Learned it from JohnnyEgo on here. You have to reposition when you flip though.
https://aht.seriouseats.com/images/2013/07/20130723-bacon-weave-food-lab-burger-1.jpg
I did this over the weekend I have a pork belly in que after the pastrami
https://i.imgur.com/jUrnCby.jpg
Fentonite
02-19-2019, 17:58
That jalapeno bacon is even better oven-baked, I just learned.
That jalapeno bacon is even better oven-baked, I just learned.
I've been wanting to try that with this stuff but I'm too lazy.
Fentonite
02-19-2019, 21:54
I've been wanting to try that with this stuff but I'm too lazy.
It’s worth a try. I’ve eaten much more than is healthy for one sitting.
ChickNorris
02-19-2019, 22:15
It’s worth a try. I’ve eaten much more than is healthy for one sitting.
This^^^^
Going to try this soon.
https://shop.bentonscountryham.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=hscb
https://cdn3.volusion.com/vhkvx.maxtd/v/vspfiles/photos/hscb-2.jpg
Ive never heard of this so called bacon limit.
ChickNorris
02-24-2019, 10:02
There is one person conspicuously absent from this thread & I'm still waiting for their bacon to be available...
Ehem!?
ChickNorris
02-24-2019, 10:05
Ive never heard of this so called bacon limit.
Giggle
I started curing a belly from Costco this morning and am soaking the paatarami and corned beef to prep for cooking
Grant H.
02-24-2019, 12:30
There is one person conspicuously absent from this thread & I'm still waiting for their bacon to be available...
Ehem!?
Me, or GG?
I posted already... :p
Going to the store to buy some beef today to start curing. Gonna do some tried and true brisket, but I am going to try making some out of chuck. Chuck generally has really good marbling, but is usually thick. Going to have to try and cut "bacon slabs" out of it, and see what I can do.
Don't worry, our conversation has not been forgotten.
ChickNorris
02-24-2019, 12:42
; )
Grant H.
02-25-2019, 19:23
Brisket turned into Bacon Slabs...
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7842/32271475767_87af2716c2_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RaHKqB)20190225_174330 (https://flic.kr/p/RaHKqB) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr
Dry Brine and Cure:
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7877/32271475727_234e020aa0_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RaHKpV)20190225_174336 (https://flic.kr/p/RaHKpV) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr
Dry Brine onto a hunk of brisket in the bag:
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7824/32271475747_333cc4ab1a_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RaHKqg)20190225_175533 (https://flic.kr/p/RaHKqg) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr
And the chunks all laid into the fridge to cure for 5-ish days:
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7849/32271475597_502130256f_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RaHKnF)20190225_180955 (https://flic.kr/p/RaHKnF) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr
Probably smoke it Saturday night... Should be ready for a test on Sunday morning!
FireMoth
02-25-2019, 19:26
Ya'll complicate the #!*& out of raw meat, you know that?
Grant H.
02-25-2019, 19:37
Ya'll complicate the #!*& out of raw meat, you know that?
You don't like bacon?
I smoked a couple batches over the weekend. Red pepper with honey and a black pepper with maple syrup. They're good enough that I'll probably continue to make my own. Definitely going to start looking for a slicer.
Grant H.
02-25-2019, 19:44
I smoked a couple batches over the weekend. Red pepper with honey and a black pepper with maple syrup. They're good enough that I'll probably continue to make my own. Definitely going to start looking for a slicer.
This batch is my usual black pepper and maple. Just light on the maple, unfortunately...
I thought I had more maple syrup on hand, so I didn't buy any more, and I didn't have quite enough for my normal recipe, but it'll be just fine.
FireMoth
02-25-2019, 19:51
You don't like bacon?
What kind of idiot question is that?
Of course i like bacon. Enough not to pile all sorts of bullshit on it.
What was wrong with salt and heat?
Grant H.
02-25-2019, 20:06
What kind of idiot question is that?
Of course i like bacon. Enough not to pile all sorts of bullshit on it.
What was wrong with salt and heat?
Not an idiot question at all...
Bacon isn't "raw meat" when you buy it at the store...
The recipe that I am making is about as close to the most simple you can get.
Salt, sugar, pink curing salt, black pepper, and a touch of maple syrup.
FireMoth
02-25-2019, 20:20
Bacon is slices of "pork belly".
Just like a ham is a ham, even before you cure it.
So, yes, raw and uncured bacon is still bacon.
And yes, I am happy to eat it that way.
I use my extra testosterone to digest it.
Grant H.
02-25-2019, 20:27
Bacon is slices of "pork belly".
Just like a ham is a ham, even before you cure it.
So, yes, raw and uncured bacon is still bacon.
And yes, I am happy to eat it that way.
I use my extra testosterone to digest it.
Yeah, not so much.
Ham is actually, by definition, cured pork leg.
Bacon is, by definition, cured pork belly.
Anyway...
Enjoy your cooked slices of pork belly with salt!
Bacon is slices of "pork belly".
Just like a ham is a ham, even before you cure it.
So, yes, raw and uncured bacon is still bacon.
And yes, I am happy to eat it that way.
I use my extra testosterone to digest it.
Yeah, not so much.
Ham is actually, by definition, cured pork leg.
Bacon is, by definition, cured pork belly.
Anyway...
Enjoy your cooked slices of pork belly with salt!
Magazine vs clip debate but with pork!
https://i.imgur.com/drs0vOp.jpg
Made farmhouse ruebens tonight used as many homemade ingredients as possible. Best sandwich I can remember.
HomemadeCorned beef from meat from the family ranch
day old rye from a baker friend
homemade slices of Swiss style hard cheese we made in early 2018
Saurkraut from last fall
1000 island dressing made with Mayo from home eggs with our garden ketchup and pickles
Didn’t make the butter though.
Delicious
Over a year of work went into this sandwich.
Over a year of work went into this sandwich.
I don't have that kind of time.
I don't have that kind of time.
Each process was an estimated 2-3 hours of hands on time besides cheese that’s like 6-8.
It’s mostly time for aging everything.
ChickNorris
03-05-2019, 10:29
Grant!?
How's the bacon?
Grant H.
03-07-2019, 06:15
Grant!?
How's the bacon?
Find out this weekend...
Been to 3 states in the last 7 days, so it hasn't gotten finished yet.
Singlestack
03-07-2019, 07:23
Excellent recipe for baked potato soup (yes, there is bacon):
8 to 10 small to medium red potatoes, boiled, peeled, and cubed
2 pounds bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 cup butter
1 large sweet onion finely chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 gallon whole milk (1/2 gallon measured, reserving the rest)
16 oz shredded medium Cheddar cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 tbs salt
? tsp ground black pepper
4 green onions, chopped
Directions:
Place whole, unpeeled red potatoes in boiling, salted water and boil till soft.
While potatoes are boiling, cook bacon crisp in the microwave or a skillet. Crumble after cooking.
Place potatoes in ice water to cool to room temperature then cube into bite-sized pieces. Leave on the skin.
In a 7qt stock pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook till lightly browned. Whisk in flour until smooth and stir for two minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Gradually stir in 1/2 gallon of milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted. Add extra milk to thin as desired if you find it necessary.
Serve and top with green onions and extra bacon and shredded cheese as garnish.
NOTE: The soup will thicken significantly in the fridge. But heat it back up and it thins out. You can also thin it by adding more milk.
BladesNBarrels
03-07-2019, 18:13
Great comfort food recipe for those cold days!
[Beer]
https://i.imgur.com/8NuWXsW.jpg
6 hours in 6 more to go maple cherry and hickory blend
Grant H.
03-13-2019, 14:23
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7852/47318599492_f679a2c881_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2f6oc5h)20190313_112156 (https://flic.kr/p/2f6oc5h) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7901/32429683547_75a69e866e_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/RpGB5X)20190313_112916 (https://flic.kr/p/RpGB5X) by ARNEWB (https://www.flickr.com/photos/61071044@N08/), on Flickr
I forgot to get a picture of the finished product cooked, before my wife and I ate it all.
Stoopid controller on the smoker broke part way through the smoking process, so it doesn't have enough smoke flavor in it, and I can notice the slightly lacking maple syrup on this batch, but it cooks up beautifully, still has a great taste, and we enjoyed it with coffee, eggs, and a wood fire this morning.
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